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March 7[edit]

False autobiography[edit]

Is there a precedent for a reader suing someone for lying in their autobiography? Bradley Wiggins has admitted lying in his autobiography (I don't own a copy) and am just curious how likely a reader would be successful in suing Wiggins. (Mobile mundo (talk) 15:09, 7 March 2018 (UTC))[reply]

Well, Lance Armstrong was sued for lying in two volumes of memoirs. I don't know whether the suit was successful or how much of a legal precedent it created. --Antiquary (talk) 16:36, 7 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

And The Guardian notes that James Frey was successfully sued by readers of his autobiography A Million Little Pieces. --Antiquary (talk) 16:50, 7 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Our article provides some details. The settlement was that people were able to obtain a refund for the RRP for the book (regardless of what they paid) if they had some proof of purchase (a receipt or certain pages from the book) and signed a sworn statement that they bought the book under the assumption it was a memory/autobiography. Under 2000 people took up this offer. Considerably more was spent on lawyer fees, as well as advertising the settlement, and there was also donations to charities as part of it. Nil Einne (talk) 17:05, 9 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Will Rogers, in the preface to his own autobiography, said that an autobiography is where you write about the stuff you wish you had done, and leave out the stuff you wish you hadn't done. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:21, 7 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks (Mobile mundo (talk) 22:46, 8 March 2018 (UTC))[reply]